Welcome to the
Blackletter Masterclass
Learn Blackletter Calligraphy
the easy way.
(Even if you don’t have neat handwriting 😉)
Discover the proven techniques that have helped thousands of students all over the world
So, what exactly is
Calligraphy?
You might think Blackletter Calligraphy as an old-fashioned style of lettering (it’s literally called “Old English” in books and references), but, from TV shows to logos, products, and advertising,
it’s still used everywhere in art, design, and branding.
There are no limits to what you can make
with what you’ll learn in this course.
Here are just a few examples of how you can use these skills…
ever learn
– Alfred Fairbank, Calligrapher, Palaeographer, Author
From kids to adults, there’s also a growing body of research about the benefits of handwriting…
From a recent study of 42 adults conducted at the Johns Hopkins Department of Cognitive Science
– Robert W. Wiley and Brenda Rapp. “The Effects of Handwriting Experience on Literacy Learning.” Psychological Science (First published: June 29, 2021)
From a recent study of school-aged children and adults at the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at NTNU
– Eva Ose Askvik, F. R. (Ruud) van der Weel and Audrey L. H. van der Meer. “The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-Year-Old Children and Young Adults.” *Frontiers in Psychology* (First published: July 28, 2020)
You don’t need an art degree or be a scholar to learn calligraphy. You don’t even need neat handwriting!
All you need is a pen, ink, some paper, and
the curiosity to learn – this class will give you the rest 👍
So why do so many calligraphy friends give up on Blackletter?
Most of the time, it boils down to two obstacles:
“Blackletter looks intimidating” and “I don’t know where to start”
It looks intimidating
You see this beautiful writing out in the world or an artist online creates a masterpiece seemingly effortlessly, and you figure, “There’s no way I could do that.”
Every creative person, whether they practice for fun or have an audience of millions, knows this feeling but there are so many wonderful, rewarding experiences on the other side.
Using a lesson learned from a little locomotive all that’s needed is a courageous pivot to: “I think I can…” 🚂
There’s a universe of possibility in that one mental shift, and learning this art is easier than you think!
Where do I start?
Does this sound familiar? You find a book with lots of different alphabets, and they all have arrows pointing every which way for every single letter (often with instructions on twisting and turning your pen while making each line).
It feels like it would be a miracle to successfully pull off one letter – let alone a word, sentence, or an entire paragraph.
You still try – you get some supplies, make your first line, and the ink bleeds everywhere. It’s a mess and looks nothing like the book.
Learning calligraphy feels like mission impossible.
you’ve struggled before
So how do you succeed at learning this art? How do you avoid the uncertainty and frustration?
You get the right tools and use a system that’s easy, fun, and that works
That’s it.
Having the right tools will transform your writing experience from frustrating to fantastic
(Note that the “right tools” doesn’t mean the most expensive. At the time of writing, you can get a great pen and plenty of ink and paper for just under $35 (in the US))
Next, all you need is a little guidance – a system that’s flexible, easy to follow, and keeps you coming back for more because it’s fun and you genuinely feel like you’re making progress.
This system makes learning the letters easy so you can
focus on fun without all the guesswork
Follow the innovative new builder system guidesheets that students are loving or use familiar traceable guides to learn these unique and approachable alphabets.
All guides are also provided for five different pen sizes so you have all the resources to support you whether you’re just starting or are ready to tackle larger size pens.
Create fun variations with even minor tweaks or additions to each letter.
Relax and enjoy the calming journey of learning Blackletter –
I believe in a positive, supportive, and light-hearted teaching style, so you’ll get lots of encouragement to play and have fun while you learn 😊
This class distills thousands of hours of teaching and learning experience into an immersive, comprehensive course.
Learn using the new Blackletter Builder System that gives you a clear path for writing and playing immediately.
By the end, you’ll know how to easily build every single letter in a flexible lowercase and two uppercase alphabets.
You’ll also and have tons of ideas for using your new skills to make awesome calligraphy art.
All of the material is presented using a fun and positive teaching style that’s super supportive, encouraging you to play and have fun while you create 😊
here’s a flavor of what you’ll get:
The Complete Blackletter Builder Collection
You’ll get immediate, early access to these new products. This collection includes a massive collection of guides and worksheets with detailed, step-by-step instructions for writing three alphabets in a traditional style so you know exactly where to start.
Tools & Maintenance
You’ll get complete guides of tools and supplies including how to maintain your pens so that you can keep them working for years. You’ll also also get essential kit recommendations so you don’t waste money on supplies you don’t immediately need.
Color Theory
You’ll learn essential color concepts and how they relate to writing supplies so you’ll understand how to work with color and make informed ink and paint purchases.
Posture & Ergonomics
You’ll get a guide and accompanying video with information about setting up a comfortable workstation, and tips to help protect against injury and repetitive strain.
Letter Variations
Explore the magical world of letter variations. Curious how to play with the letters and even create your own alphabets? We’ll spend over two hours working with the alphabet so that you can learn to experiment with your own signature style.
Calligra-Construction Kit
You’ll get an incredibly flexible set of lettering guides with all the structure you need to write every single letter. They’re fantastic for playing around with letter variations you’ll get a crazy range of sizes ranging from 2.4mm to a massive 26mm (that’s not a typo!) so that you can use for any project from tiny to preposterously huge 😁
Manuscript Library
You’ll learn from and get inspired by historical masters and scribes in the Massive Manuscript Library. Many of these individual references have hundreds hundreds of pages of breathtaking calligraphy – a lifetime of inspiration! Save countless hours of searching with this handle reference library that I’ve compiled for you.
Letter Spacing
You’ll learn the foundational concepts and approach to letter spacing – a question that comes up in almost every Blackletter class. This includes tons of individual letter pair combinations and how they were historically written in manuscripts so you’ll have plenty of references to refer to when you need help.
Tips for Lefties
A collection of tips and ideas for approaching left-handed calligrafriends. Full transparency, I’m right-handed, but I’ve collected tips from several resources into one handy reference.
Flourishing Basics
You’ll learn foundational concepts for experimenting with flourishing so you can dive into the magical world of embellishing your letters.
Composition Fundamentals
You’ll learn concepts to build beautiful compositions. Think introduction to composition will add several tools to your creative toolbelt when you make your next masterpiece.
Infinite Inspiration Engine
You’ll learn how to build an Infinite Inspiration Engine so that you’ll have and endless list of awesome stuff to write when you sit down to write. This section also includes tons of inspirational quotes, passages, poems, and pangrams to jump start start your collection. You’ll never be at a loss for what to write again!
Popular Word Guidesheets
You’ll get traceable guides of over 70 popular words written in blackletter. This isn’t just a list of words – these are traceable guidesheets of dozens of popular words that you can combine to write personal messages, greetings, and more. The guides are provided for five common pen sizes, maximizing your ability to use them for a variety of projects.
And there’s more!
With over 10 hours of video instruction, well over 1,000 pages of books and guides, lots of handy tools, and some amazing bonuses there’s still plenty more to discover in this one-of-a-kind resource.
This course delivers value wherever you are in your journey…
Beginner
Save countless hours and money by starting with the right tools and resources all in one convenient place.
Plus, with ongoing access, there’s no rush to consume everything in a rush – you get the flexibility to learn and advance at your own pace.
Intermediate
This class will introduce you to three traditional Blackletter alphabets, including a unique version of two uppercase alphabets.
You’ll also get all the other content, resources, and tools – dive into color theory, advanced project ideas, composition, nuances of letter spacing, and more.
Advanced
I can’t tell you how many times I got lost looking at these building this class. Some of the books have hundreds of pages packed with amazing lettering, flourishes, cadels, and much, much, more!) – a lifetime of inspiration!
One more thing… Who’s the instructor?
If we haven’t met before – hi, I’m Tamer 👋
your friendly neighborhood calligrafriend
Ever since I was a kid, my heart’s belonged to the world of art and creativity – enchanted by the hum of lightsabers, the voyages of enterprising starships, and the heroic deeds of superheroes.
From drawing to photography, music to fountain pens, I’ve had quite a creative journey – but when I found calligraphy, I knew I’d discovered something special.
I’ve been honored to have my work shown in exhibitions, galleries, and published internationally, but I found real magic in teaching and sharing the joy of calligraphy with thousands of enthusiastic creatives across the world.
There’s nothing like seeing a student’s eyes light up, beaming with happiness because they made something they’re proud of.
Even better is seeing them realize that they were always capable of making beautiful art and just needed a little help onto the path of a lifetime of creative fulfillment.
This is the ✨magic✨ I can’t wait to share with you…
Okay, I get it – this Blackletter class sounds awesome.
But what’s actually in the course?
What do I get when I enroll?
Great question 🙂 Here’s what the course curriculum looks like:
👋 Introduction
This introductory segment is a welcome to class with some suggestions on where to start with the course materials.
🧰 Section 1: Supplies & Maintenance
- In this section, you’ll get my complete supplies guide listing all of my favorite calligraphy tools.
- There’s also a book that covers just the essentials so that you don’t waste money and end up with a bunch of tools you don’t need
- You also find out about some of my “secret weapons” of calligraphy supplies and favorite tools that I use to run my creative business.
- We’ll also walk through a few tips on storing your pens and how to clean and maintain them.
✍️ Section 2: Lowercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- A full walkthrough using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We’ll step through every lowercase letter – I’ll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
✍️ Section 3: Simple Uppercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- A full walkthrough using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We’ll step through uppercase letter – I’ll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
✍️ Section 4: Fancy Uppercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- We’re leveling up now! This section includes a full walkthrough of a fancier uppercase alphabet using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We’ll step through every lowercase letter – I’ll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
🔬 Section 5: Letter Variations
- Now we’re really cooking! We’re familiar with the alphabet and now we’re going to have some fun playing.
- This is section is entirely focused on free exploration – modifying and playing with the letters to create entirely new alphabets.
- We’ll walk through each one of the lowercase letters and come up with several variations of every single one.
- By the end of this section you’ll have a taste for just how fun and flexible this style of calligraphy can be 😊
📐 Section 6: Letter Spacing
- In this section, we’ll unlock the mysteries of letter spacing.
- We’ll boil down a complex topic into the two basic systems
- You’ll also get my collection of letter spacing guides with tons of historical references showing how words and letter pairs were constructed and combined
✒️ Section 7: Flourishing Basics
- In “Flourishing Basics” we’ll review my basic flourishing categories
- We’ll also review how I approach flourishing in my work and some fundamental rules that you can use in yours
🧠 Section 8: Project Ideas
- If you think the only way to use Blackletter Calligraphy is to write blocks of text in old-fashioned books, then you’re really going to enjoy this section
- We’ll review several ideas for creatively working with Blackletter, including pulling it through the time-space continuum into the 21st century and combining it with modern software programs
- Get your flux capacitors ready – this one’s going to be fun!
📓 Section 9: Terminology
- If you’ve ever heard one of those fancy calligraphy or typography words, but weren’t sure what it actually meant – this terminology section is for you.
- I’ve compiled a collection of the most comment terms and created a visual, blackletter-focused reference guide.
🖼️ Section 10: Composition
- The goal of this section is to fill up your calligraphy tool belt.
- In the “Composition” section we’ll review they key concepts of layout and design.
- You’ll build an understanding of the key tools used to create dynamic, interesting compositions
💪 Section 11: Posture
- The goal of this section is to share some suggestions for good posture and workstation setup while you work
- We’ll go over some key considerations for your work space and talk about tips to help with your posture, protecting against long term injury and repetitive strain.
📝 Section 12: Practice Tips
- If you need a hand figuring out how to structure your practice, in this section we’ll discuss a few tips for how structure your time when you sit down to write.
💡 Section 13: Infinite Inspiration Engine
- Speaking of practice sessions, one of the most common questions I get from students when they sit down to practice is “What should I write?”
- In this section, we’ll review tons of ways to find inspiration, helping you to build your own “Infinite Inspiation Engine”
- Applying the advice in this section, you’ll never have a shortage of meaning content to write ever again
🖋️ Section 14: Tips for Lefties
- Full transparency – as two of my favorite swordsmen of all time once said, “I am not left-handed.”
- But, I’ve tried to compile a bunch of tips for the 10-12% of calligrafriends out there who are. In preparing for this section, I even attempted some left-handed calligraphy, trying to validate the tips I found.
- I’ve consolidated the suggestions from my research into the guide provided in this section.
🚀 Section 15: Next Steps
- This section is all about continued improvement and advancement.
- Once you’ve got a handle on the writing the letters, you’ll probably wondering about next steps.
- Combined with the “Project Ideas” section, this part of the course introducesa a few ways to level-up your practice so that you can keep making progress.
🚀 Section 16: Manuscript Library
- A lifetime of inspiration all collected in one place. Learn and get inspired by centuries of masters and scribes. Get access to my massive curated collection of curated manuscripts (and other stuff).
🎨 Section 17: Color Theory
- In “Color Theory” we’ll talk about all things color
- We’ll cover how we see color (with some real surprises) and the foundational color schemes
- We’ll also go over how color works in the media we use (like inks and paints). color combinations, palettes, and a some color psychology.
⬇️ Download: The Blackletter Builder Collection
Get the complete collection of textualis/textura quadata-style alphabet instructional guides bundled with this class. This bundle includes:
- Printable guides with step-by-step instructions for one lowercase and two uppercase alphabets. Traceable and follow-along practice pages are included for each letter.
- Each pack includes guides for five popular pen sizes.
- Exemplar pages for each pen size in both horizontal and vertical format that can be traced for practice and projects
⬇️ Course Downloads & Tools
The course includes a bunch of downloadable tools and references across the various sections. Here are a few that are included:
- Popular Word Guidesheets: Guide sheets for dozens of popular words you can combine into phrases and messages for your practice or to share with friends and family. I’ve created versions of these for five different pen sizes to them them flexible for a variety of projects.
- Easy Words List: a list of words that work great for the easiest type of spacing. This’ll set you up perfectly with plenty of things to write while you’re learning to make all of these lovely letters
- Pangram Builder: An amazing tool for learning calligraphy, you’ll get a library of fun pangrams and a tool to help you invent your own
🎁 Bonuses!
Scroll down to the next section for all the details on some awesome bundled bonuses!
Yup. I’ve decided to bundle in some extra bonuses, just for fun…
Blackletter Builder Collection (Normally $115)
Like I’ve mentioned above, you’ll get immediate, early access to the upcoming Blackletter Builder products. This bundle provides a detailed step-by-step instructions and guides that make learning Blackletter calligraphy easy.
Q&A Session Recordings
Watch the recordings from two Q&A sessions held during the course launch, where we talked about fitting text into circles, flourishing, favorite reference and inspiration books, tools, and more 😃
How much does this cost?
I’ve spent months building this course with one mission – to save you a ton of time and effort and make it as easy as possible for you to learn this art that I love so much.
I look forward to seeing you in the class!
Blackletter Masterclass
$559
One-time fee (payment plan available)
- 🎥 The Core Masterclass Curriculum: 10+ hours of video tutorials and course materials walking you through everything you need to create amazing blackletter art, including step-by-step video walkthroughs of:
- An easy-to-learn lowercase alphabet
- A full blackletter uppercase alphabet
- A more advanced “fancy” uppercase alphabet
- Letter variations – modifying letters to create your own new alphabets and ideas
- 🔑 Lifetime Access to all the course materials: you’ll get ongoing access to all of the course materials so that you can learn and advance at your own pace
- 🧰 Instructional Books & Guide Sheets: Get hundreds of pages of helpful guide sheets that give you all the support you need to write the alphabets and dozens of popular words. Use the popular words guides to make personal greetings and gifts that will be cherished by family and friends.
- 🚀 Calligra-Construction Kit: The most fun, flexible and versatile blackletter guides ever – use this single guide to write every single letter in a crazy variety of sizes from 2.4mm to 26mm!
- ✒️ Flourishing Basics: Learn essential rules for flourishing so you can experience the joy of beautifully embellishing your letters.
- 📏 Letter Spacing: Dig into the details of letter spacing. You’ll learn the foundations of spacing with examples, plus get a list of easy words to write for practice.
- 🔨 Tools & Maintenance: You’ll get guides of recommended supplies (including a few secret weapons 😉), including how to store and maintain your pens so that you can keep using them for years.
- 🎨 Color Theory: Learn how color works, about palettes, and color psychology (and more). Build your color confidence and be better informed when you buy supplies.
- 🖼️ Composition: You’ll jump into the world of composition and review a toolbox of concepts that you can use to level up your designs.
- 🧠 Infinite Inspiration Engine: You’ll never ask, “What should I write?” again. Learn how to build an Infinite Inspiration Engine so you always have meaningful ideas at your fingertips when you write.
- 💡 Project Ideas: Learn about tons of project ideas for pushing your blackletter boundaries with specific examples that have been shown in exhibitions, galleries, and published internationally.
- 📜 Manuscript Library: A lifetime of inspiration in one handy location. Get inspiration from a curated collection of centuries of work by made dozens of masters and scribes.
- 🎁 Exclusive Bonuses: Just for fun, there are some incredible bonuses too.
Keep scrolling for more info 😉
And there’s still much, much, more – even this list doesn’t describe everything for you to discover in this massive class.
This course gives you all the tools you need to have fun while you learn this fulfilling and flexible art 😃
🎁 Just a reminder of the bonuses…
Blackletter Builder Collection (Normally $115)
Early access to my three new Blackletter Builder products (they’re already bundled into the class!). Each will be priced at $39 ($95 for the bundle of all three). These are the most detailed and complete step-by-step instructions I’ve ever made for learning Blackletter calligraphy.
Q&A Session Recordings
Watch the recordings from two Q&A sessions held during the course launch, where we talked about fitting text into circles, flourishing, favorite reference and inspiration books, tools, and more 😃
My 100% Satisfaction Guarantee & Money-Back Promise
I want the investment in this course to be an absolute no-brainer for you – if you’re planning to actually do the work 😃
This course is the culmination of years of effort and countless hours of work, so it’s important to me that you get value from it. There is a ton of information in the class, so “doing the work” technically involves completing the core lowercase and uppercase alphabet modules. If you’ve done that and, for whatever reason, aren’t 100% happy with your experience, drop me an email (within 30 days of purchasing the course) and I’ll happily refund your entire payment
However, please note that the money-back guarantee only applies if you’ve completed those core modules and included your reason for the cancellation in the email.
Frequently Asked Questions…
Do I have to have amazing handwriting to learn calligraphy?
Nope. Anyone can learn to write in this style by following a few simple steps. I’ll walk you through the entire process for constructing a lowercase and uppercase alphabet and will be there to answer questions and provide tips along the way.
Do I need any calligraphy experience?
Also nope 😊. You’ll get all of the information you need – from basic supplies to writing letters and words (and much more). You don’t need any previous experience.
Do I need a bunch of expensive supplies?
No, you won’t – ll of the supplies you need participate and follow along can be purchased for less than $25 (in the US). There are certainly a ton of fun and amazing tools out there, but all you need are a broad-nib pen, ink, and paper. For all the details, just check out my Blackletter Boot Camp Supply List.
Will any handouts be provided in the class?
You bet! There are literally over 1,000 pages of instructional books and guides included in this class.
Is it possible to pay in installments?
Absolutely. You’ll have the option to pay in 3 installments if you’re unable to pay the full amount up front. A little head’s up – you end up paying slightly more if you go for the installments option.
How long will I have access to the class?
You’ll get “lifetime” ongoing access to this class. I honestly struggle a bit with what this practically means, so here’s what I can tell you – you’ll have access at no additional charge (no subscription, renewal, etc.) to this class for as long as I have an online teaching platform. I have zero plans to stop teaching and making super valuable courses (I love teaching and creating this stuff 😊), so I plan for this to be available for a long time into the future (my goal is definitely years/decades). Your purchases of content like this is how I make this possible – so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.
Need a hand?
Still not sure?
Drop me an email here…
If you’ve got any questions about the course, I’m just an email away. Drop me a line and I’ll do my best to help 😊
Blackletter Masterclass
$559
One-time fee (payment plan available)
- 🎥 The Core Masterclass Curriculum: 10+ hours of video tutorials and course materials walking you through everything you need to create amazing blackletter art, including step-by-step video walkthroughs of:
- An easy-to-learn lowercase alphabet
- A full blackletter uppercase alphabet
- A more advanced “fancy” uppercase alphabet
- Letter variations – modifying letters to create your own new alphabets and ideas
- 🔑 Lifetime Access to all the course materials: you’ll get ongoing access to all of the course materials so that you can learn and advance at your own pace
- 🧰 Instructional Books & Guide Sheets: Get hundreds of pages of helpful guide sheets that give you all the support you need to write the alphabets and dozens of popular words. Use the popular words guides to make personal greetings and gifts that will be cherished by family and friends.
- 🚀 Calligra-Construction Kit: The most fun, flexible and versatile blackletter guides ever – use this single guide to write every single letter in a crazy variety of sizes from 2.4mm to 26mm!
- ✒️ Flourishing Basics: Learn essential rules for flourishing so you can experience the joy of beautifully embellishing your letters.
- 📏 Letter Spacing: Dig into the details of letter spacing. You’ll learn the foundations of spacing with examples, plus get a list of easy words to write for practice.
- 🔨 Tools & Maintenance: You’ll get guides of recommended supplies (including a few secret weapons 😉), including how to store and maintain your pens so that you can keep using them for years.
- 🎨 Color Theory: Learn how color works, about palettes, and color psychology (and more). Build your color confidence and be better informed when you buy supplies.
- 🖼️ Composition: You’ll jump into the world of composition and review a toolbox of concepts that you can use to level up your designs.
- 🧠 Infinite Inspiration Engine: You’ll never ask, “What should I write?” again. Learn how to build an Infinite Inspiration Engine so you always have meaningful ideas at your fingertips when you write.
- 💡 Project Ideas: Learn about tons of project ideas for pushing your blackletter boundaries with specific examples that have been shown in exhibitions, galleries, and published internationally.
- 📜 Manuscript Library: A lifetime of inspiration in one handy location. Get inspiration from a curated collection of centuries of work by made dozens of masters and scribes.
- 🎁 Exclusive Bonuses: Just for fun, there are some incredible bonuses too.
Keep scrolling for more info 😉
And there’s still much, much, more – even this list doesn’t describe everything for you to discover in this massive class.